Eyes closed, she fought to steady her breathing. She had to tamp down her anxiety so she could think straight. Ten—maybetwenty minutes later, she lay on the cold metal, attempting to wrap her mind around what happened.
Twice. Someone had kidnapped her twice. The first time made sense. But this time? Not so much. If it were all about her exposing the codes being sold to the black market, wouldn’t they just kill her?
The helicopter landed, yanking her from her thoughts. Her heart raced, and panic wormed its way to the surface.
The door slid open, and the rush of cool air slapped her arms.
Rough hands yanked her out. Her legs buckled, and her knees scraped gravel.
Hot breath whispered across her ear. “On your feet.”
“Where are we?” Her voice cracked. It didn’t matter, though. No one heard her above the helicopter engine and blades.
With a shove, her captor forced her forward.
Upright, she peeked down from the bottom of the hood over her head. Nothing but blackness. Her skin crawled. The asphalt turned to concrete under her feet.
“You better not let her fall and crack her head. Boss wouldn’t be happy.” Jade jerked toward another man’s voice.
“Whatever.” Her captor squeezed her arm.
“I mean it, man.” The voice turned serious. Commanding even.
“Fine.”
Without warning, the man who’d yanked her around for the past who knew how long threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. His boot echoed on the steps as they descended.
Underground. Basement of a house, maybe. When they hit the bottom, the air turned cool and damp, sending a shiver racing through her.
A door creaked open and closed.
The man dropped her on her rear and cut the zip ties from her wrist. The hood ripped off her head.
She squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden brightness. Head twisted to the side and arm raised to block the light, she forced one eye open. “What do you want from me?”
A man stood beyond the light. Jade couldn’t see his face, only his outline.
“You know how to get into places others can’t. That’s what we want.”
That didn’t make sense. They’d assumed the person who’d sold the code wanted to eliminate her. “I’m a data analyst.”
He crouched, but his face remained hidden. “And I’m the Pope. Don’t insult me,hacker.”
Her pulse thudded. That voice seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it. “You’ve got the wrong person.”
“That’s not true.” The man stood.
How did he know so much about her and her computer abilities? She racked her brain for answers, but the effort made her headache worse. “I don’t understand.”
“Let’s just say someone’s paying a lot of money for you to open a few digital doors.” The faceless man turned, flipped off the spotlight, and left. The door slammed shut. Locks clanked into place.
Jade sat frozen, pulse whooshing in her ears. She was alone. With the intense light gone, she took in her surroundings. A single bulb overhead. Concrete walls. Two twin beds, each on opposite sides. A tiny room off to the side appeared to be a primitive bathroom. A version of a prison. Her prison.
She lowered her battered body onto one of the mattresses and stared at the ceiling. At least her anxiety hadn’t exploded into a full-on panic attack. The four walls helped. And locked down there, she’d never know the time of day. She mulled over the events.
With the latest data, she came to one conclusion. Whoever these men were, they didn’t want her dead. They wanted her mind.
But why? She was good, but not that good. Or at least what she’d allowed people to see.
